Apparatus for molding articles from paper pulp



Aug. 21, 1934. H. z. LANDON APPARATUS FOR MOLDING ARTICLES FROM PAPER PULP Original Filed Feb. 19, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w f1 www se va m All@ 21, 1934- H. z. LANDON 1,970,608

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING ARTICLES FROM PAPER PULP Original Filed Feb. 19, 1931J 2 Sheeigs-Sheet 2 Ewig@ so I Se v InvehTOT- Home@ Z.| ondon by@ QM Yfvmf- ATys.

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i APPARATUS FOR MOLDING ARTICLESv FROM PAPER' PULP 516,997. Divided and this application April l, 1932, Serial No. 602,462 v 9 Claims,

This invention relates to a machine for molding articles from paper pulp and the invention is illustrated as it might be embodied in a machine for molding directly from paper pulp cones such g; as are used in the textile art as a foundation on which to wind yarn, thread, twine, etc. It will be understood, however,l that the invention is not necessarily limited to the manufacture of articles of this type but may also be used for making other similar articles.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of an apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the suction member with parts broken out;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the die members showing their operation in forming the cone;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the means for subjecting the suction member to the 'action ci the suction apparatus or to compressed air;

Fia. 5 is a section on the line 6-5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view oi the die members by which the article is given its unal shape;

Fig. is a view ci one section of one of the die members; l e n Fig. Bis a perspective view of the conewhich is made by the machine herein illustrated;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9, Fig. 6;

Fis. 9 illustrates a cone such as would be made by the machine herein described. This cone, which is indicated at 1, is provided at its base with a flange 2 and is also provided with a plurality of external circumferential ribs 3 near the base, and another sexies oi circumferential ribs d M near the tip. The apex 5 of the tip has a smooth unbroken surface and the surface of the cone except for the tip is preferably somewhat roughcned.

The apparatus herein illustrated for molding W the cone from the paper pulp is oi that type which comprises a hollow suction member having a foraminous face, means to submerge said suction member into ay bath of paper pulp, means to produce suction in said suction member thereby ,M to suck a layer oi pulp onto the foraminous face of the suction member and means operating subsequently to compress this pulp into the shape oi the desired article. n

In the machine herein illustrated the suction so memberis indicated at 6, it being a hollow member having a general cone shape and provided with a suction chamber '7 and also provided with a foraminous face Means are provided for submerging the suc at tion member into a body of pulp 9 which may liti conveniently be contained in a pulp tank 'l0 and for applying suction to said member 6 while it is thus submerged. 'Ihis submerging of the member 6 and the application of suction thereto may be provided for in various ways. As herein shown 60 said member is supported by a tubular stem l1 which is mounted on a tubular shaft 12 located near the upper end of the pulp tank 10.

l Means are provided for rotating the shaft 12 thereby to swing the suction member 6 into a b5 position in which it is submerged in the pulp 9 as shown by the dotted line position 6a or to carry said suction member out of the pulp as indicated by the full lines Fig. l or the dotted lines db.

Suction is applied to the suction member 6 tu while it is submerged in the pulp 9. This mayv be conveniently accomplished by providing the shaft 12 at one end with a hollow head 13 having a port 14 and by further providing a stationary member l5 with an arcuate chamber 16 therein @my which connects with a suitable suction apparatus by a pipe 17. The chamber 16 is so situated that the port 11i of the head i3 will confirmant-L1 cate therewith when the shaft 12 is in position to cause the suction member to be submerged in the pulp 9. This application of the suction to the member 6 will cause a layer oi. pulp to be deposited on the cone-shaped surface ci the suction member 6 thereby to produce a mass ci pulp having the general shape of a hollow cone. @5

Various devices may be employed for rotating the'shaft 12 to cause the suction member to be submerged into and withdrawn from the pulp 9. The construction herein illustrated is a simple one. The shaft 12 is provided with a scar 16 fw which meshes with rack teeth 19on the end oi a rod or bar 20. This rod 'orvbar is connected to one end of a lever arm 21 pivoted at 22 to the frame 23 on which the mechanism is supported. The lever arm 21 has rigid therewith another arm 24provided with a follower 25 oper ating in a cam groove 26 formed in a cam member 27 that is fast on a shaft 28, said shaft also being journalled in suitable bearings carried by the frame 23. The shaft can be driven in any appropriate way and as the particular form of driving means for the shaft does not constitute any part oi.' my invention l have not illustrated it herein.

The cam 26 serves to give the shaft 12 the dem5 sired oscillating motion to cause the suction menber to be dipped intothe pulp in the tank 9 and then withdrawn therefrom and the cam groove 26 will also be so cut as to provide sumcient dwell when the suction member is subn0 merged in the tank to permit the required amount of pulp being deposited on the surface of said member.

The cam groove 26 will also preferably be so cut that the shaft 12 will have a slight dwell when the suction member is in the upright vertical position shown in full lines Fig. 1 and as the suction remains on during this dwell it will facilitaltle the draining of the surplus water from the D p- After the suction member 6 has been withdrawn from'the pulp with the required deposit of pulp thereon, said pulp deposit, which is then in the general form of a hollow cone, is discharged from the suction member 6 and is acted upon by two members of a forming die which compresses the pulp mass and gives it its final shape.

In a device adapted to form a-hollow cone one of the die members will be a hollow female member having an interior conical face while the other member will be a male member hav-'- ing an exterior conical face.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated the female die member having the interior conical face is a travelling member and it it is capable of moving from a position in which it receives the cone-shaped pulp mass from the suction member into a position to co-operate with the other or male die member to compress and given nal form to the cone.

In the machine herein shown I have illsutrated a plurality of the female die members, they being indicated at 29. These are mounted in radial positions upon a suitable shaft 30 that is journalled in bearings31 carried by the frame 23. There are four such female die members illus- `trated and each is formed with an interior coneoutwardly. The male die member which o0.-

operates with the die members 29 to form the cone is indicated at 33.

For transferring the cone-shaped pulp mass from the suction member 6 into one of the female die members 29 I have so constructed the means for oscillating the shaft 12 that during each oscillation said shaft will be turned so as to carry the suction member from the position 6a around into the vertical position .6b. In the position at 6b, said suction member is directly over the open end of one of the die members 29 and at this time the cone-shaped mass 34 ofrpulp is I discharged from the member 6 into the die member 29. This is done by admitting compressed air to the suction member which serves to blow the pulp mass 34 off from the suction member.

For this purpose the member 15 is provided with a second chamber or port 35 which communicates with a source of compressed air supply by means of a pipe 36 and this port^35 is so situated'that the port 14 in the head 13 will -be in communication therewith when the shaft 12 is in position to place the suction member in the position indicated by the dotted lines 6b in Fig. 1 so that compressed air will be blown into the suction member when it reaches the position 6b.

After the pulp mass 34 has been deposited in the die member 29 the shaft 30 is given a quarter rotation to bring said die member into a horizontal position opposite the male die member 33 and said male member 33 is then moved forwardly into the cone-shaped pulp mass 34 thereby to compress said pulp between the exterior conical face of the die member 33 and the interior conical face of the die member 29. This operation gives the cone member 1 its final shape.

Means are provided for rotating the shaft 30 intermittently in timed relation with the oscillation of the shaft 12. The device herein shown for this purpose comprises a crank arm 37 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 30 and is connected thereto through a ratchet 38 fast on the shaft 30 and a co-operating spring-pressed pawl 39 carried by the arm 37. The arm 37 is connected by a link 40 to a lever member 4l pivoted to the frame 23 at 42. At each rotation of the shaft 28 the lever member 41 is given a movement to the left, Fig. l, during which the pawl 39 clicks over the teeth of the ratchet 38. At the end of the movement to the left the lever is given an operative movement to the right by means of a return spring 43 and during this movement to the right the pawl 39 engages the ratchet 38 thereby giving the shaft 30 the quarter revolution. 44 indicates a stop which limits the springimpelled movement of the lever 41.

While any suitable means may be employed for giving the lever 41 its movement to the left I have herein shown a pulley 45 fast on the shaft 28 which is provided with a pin or projection 46 that is adapted to engage the upper end of the lever 41 during vthe rotation ofthe pulley 45. By means of this engagement the lever 41 is moved to the left and when during the rotation of the pulley 45 the pin 46 wipes oi from the end of the lever arm 41 said arm will be returned to its full line position Fig. 1 by means of the spring The male die member 33 is carriedby a stem 110 46 which is mounted for reciprocation in suitable bearings 47 carried by the frame 23 and this stem is connected by a connecting rod or link 48 to a crank member 49 carried by or formed in the shaft 28. Hence with this arrangement the die 115 member 33 will be given a complete to and fro reciprocating movement for each rotation of the shaft 28.

'I'he female die members 29 are preferably made laterally expansible and means are pro- 120 vided for opening or expanding them to receive the cone-shaped pulp mass 34 from the suction member 6 and to close said members together and hold them closed during the' compressed operation. As herein illustrated each die member 29 125 is split longitudinally and comprises the two sections 49. 50. The sections 49 are shown as rigidly secured to a hub 51 mounted on the shaft 30 while the sections 50 are pivotally mounted to said hub as shown at 52.

The opening and closing movement of the sections on each die member 29 is controlled by a circular cam track 53. each pivoted section 50 having a hook-shaped extension 54 that embraces the track 53. As the shaft 30 rotates, there- 135 fore, the hook-shaped members 54 will travel around the track 53. This track is so shaped that the pivoted sections 50 will be held slightly separated from the fixed sections 49 except at the vtime when the die members 29 and 33 are co-op- 140 erating to compress the pulp. I

The trackl 53 is provided with the cam portion 55 and the shape of this portion is such that as the hooked extensions 54 are travelling over this cam section 55 the die section 50 will be 145 This brace member is shown as pivoted to the frame as at 57 and it is swingableV from ,the full line position Fig. 6 to the dotted line position.

As each ilxed die section 49 comes into operative position to co-operate with the male die 33 for compressing the pulp the brace member 56 is swung into a position in which the inner end 57 thereof will engage the side of the die section 49 and thus act as a brace therefor during the compressing operation. Thisvbrace member 56 is subsequently swung into the dotted line position to permit the die to advance one step. The brace is moved from its operative into its inoperative position and vice versa by means of two ngers 58 and 59 that are rigid with the link 40 and which engage the end of the brace member during the reciprocating movement of said link.

The interior surface of each die member 29 will be of a character to give the desired surface to the exterior of the cone member l. If this cone member 1 is to have a'roughened surface provided with the annular ribs 3, 4 and with the smooth tip 5 then the interior surface of eachdie member 29 will be formed with the grooves 60, 61, which will result in molding the cone with the ribs 3, 4, and the interior surface of said die, with the exception of the tip portion 62, will be roughened slightly as indicated at 63 in Fig. '7, the tip portion 62 having a smooth surface to produce the smooth tip 5 oi the cone. 1

Each die member 29 is also shown as providedwith an annular recess 64 having the cylindrical walls 65 and the die member 33 is provided with the flange 66 of a size to t Within said cylindrical walls. When the two members are in their operative position for molding or forming the cone the flange 66 will partially enter the recess 64 as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. '7 and the result will be that the cone will be formedwith the flange portion 2.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 516,997, illed February 19, 1931.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for making cone-shaped members directly from paper pulp, comprising a hollow cone-shaped suction member having a foraminous surface, means to immerse said suction member into a body of paper pulp, means to apply suction to said member to deposit a layer of paper pulp on said ,suction member, thereby producing a pulp mass having the general form of a hollow cone, a die member having an interior. conical molding face, means to discharge the pulp mass from the suction member into said die member, and a second die member having a cone-shaped molding face and mounted fory movement in the direction of its axis, means to move the first-named die member with the pulpv mass therein from its receivingA position in which it receives the pulp mass into a position in which it is in axial alignment'with the second die member and means to move said die members relative to each other in their axial line to mold said pulp mass into the shape of the cone.

2. A hollow cone-shaped suction member having a foraminous face, means to deposit a layer means co-operatingl with each die member when contracted to mold said pulp mass into the shape of a hollow cone.

3. A hollow cone-shaped suction member having a foraminous face, means to deposit a layer of paper; pulp on said face thereby forming a pulp mass having a general hollow conical shape, a plurality of connected expansible and contractible ldie members each having an interior conical molding face, means to expand and contract said members, means to bring said members lsuccessively and when-'expanded into position to receive the pulp mass from the suction member, and a cone-shaped die member co-operating with each of the first die members when contracted to compress the pulp mass deposited therein into the shape of a hollow cone.

4. A device of the classdescribed comprising a hollow cone-shaped suction member having a foraminous face, means to deposit a layer of paper pulp on saidpface thereby forming apulp mass having a general hollow conical shape, a plurality of connected expansible and contractible die members mountedl to rotate about a common axis, each die member having an interior conical molding face, means to rotate said die members about their common axis to bring said members successively into position to receive the pulp mass fromthe suction member, means to expand each die member to receive the pulp mass and subsequently to contractsaid member and means co-operating with each die member when in a different position from thatin which it re ceives the pulp mass and when contracted to` mold saidpulp mass into the shape of a hollow cone.

5. A device of the class described having a hollow cone-shaped suction member provided with a foraminous face, means to deposit a layer of paper pulp' on said facethereby'forming a pulp mass having a general hollow conical shape, a plurality of connected expansible and contractible die members mounted to 'rotate about a icc its

common axis',""'each die member having an ini terior conical molding face, means to rotate said connected die members to bring said members successively intoposition to receive the pulp' mass from the suction member, meenam expand each die member to -receive the pulp mas'sMand subsequently to contract said die member, a coneshaped die member, rotation o f said connected die`members bringing each of them successively into position in axial alignment with the coneshaped die member, and-means to actuate the latter to compress the pulp mass in each of the connected die members when it is contracted and presented to the cone-shaped die member.

6. A device of the class described comprising a cone-shaped suction member having a forami.-4 nous face, means to deposit a layer of paper pulp on said face thereby forming a pulp mass having a general hollow conical shape, a plurality of connected expansible and collapsible female die` members mounted for rotation about a common axis, a male die member, means to rotate the connected female die members to bring each member successively linto position to' receive the pulp mass from the suction chamber into position to co-operate with the male die member, means to expand each female die member as it moves into its receiving. position and to contract said die member as it moves into position to cooperate with the male die member, and means to actuate the male member to compress the pulp in each female member.

7. A deviceof the class described comprising a plurality of connected hollow cone-shaped die members capable of expanding and contracting radially, means to move said connected die members as a unit, means to deliver to each die member when in one position a pulp mass having a general hollow conical shape, means for causing each die member to be expanded when the pulp mass is received thereby, and to subsequently contact each die member, and means to press the pulp in each die member into the shape of a hollow cone. l

8. A device of the class described comprising a cone-shaped suction member having a foraminous face,` means for oscillating said suction member between a receiving position in which it is immersed in the pulp in a pulp vat and a discharging position, means to deposit by suction a layer of paper pulp on said foraminous face when it is immersed in the pulp vat, a plurality of connected die members mounted to turn about a common axis, each die member having an interior conical molding face, means to rotate said connected die members about said common axis with a step by step motion to bring the die member successively into position to receive the pulp mass from the suction member, and means cooperating with each die member while it is stationary between two successive4 forward steps to compress the pulp mass into the shape of a hollow cone.

9. A device of the class described comprising a hollow cone-shaped suction member having a foraminous face, means to oscillate said member between a receiving position in which it is immersed in a pulp vat and a discharging position, a plurality of connected die members, each having an interior conical molding face, means to rotate said connected die members with a step by step motion to bringl saidv members successively into position to receive a pulp mass from the suction member when it is in discharging position, a cone-shaped die member movable in the direction of its axis, and means to move said coneshapeddie member into each one of the connected `die members and thereby compress the pulp therein when said connected die member is at rest between successive forward movements.

HORACE Z. LANDON. 

